Nebraska State Patrol, Nebraska
End of Watch: Thursday, April 8, 1954
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 7 years
Badge Number: 98
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: April 8, 1954
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Acquitted
Trooper Marvin Hansen was shot and killed after stopping a stolen vehicle near Valentine, Nebraska.
The sheriff of Cherry County had received information that the vehicle would be stripped of parts in a rural area, and he and Trooper Hansen set up a stakeout on the Berry Bridge . They stopped the vehicle when it approached, and one of the suspects fled. Trooper Hansen chased the man and was shot and killed about 200 feet from the road. He was killed just minutes before his 29th birthday.
The suspect was arrested and initially sentenced to death but was acquitted in a second trial and freed.
Trooper Hansen was a United States Army WWII veteran and had served with the Nebraska State Patrol for seven years. He was survived by his wife, parents, and brother.